BENDOC RESIDENTS EXPLORE THE REGION.
The intrepid Bendoc Adult Education group has been out and about once again. Travelling in the Bendoc Progress Association Inc 12 seater bus the group has had two trips. The first was a post Mothers Day trip to Nimmitabel primarily for morning tea. This trip turned out to be more of an exploration day with a visit to the cemetery where there is a Greek pirate buried then a stop at the old mill and a visit to several of the shops in town. On the return journey a stop at the Lavender House was a surprise to many on the bus. As  locals we sometimes overlook the interesting attractions in our own backyard.

The second trip on the 1st  June was in the opposite direction when we headed down the Bonang Main Road to Nowa Nowa. As the first day of winter we could not have asked for a finer day with the fog being left behind and the sun shining on us all day. The trip to Nowa Nowa was initially planned to see the Wood and Gemstone Museum, which many of us have driven past, many times without knowing the wonders, which existed there. The collection comprises 35 unique wood sculptures that were sourced from the oldest remaining temperate rainforests of Far East Gippsland by Jack Ramsdell. The feature of the display is a seven metre by four-metre tree root that grew in a limestone base on the banks of Lake Tyers. Jack removed two tonne of dirt and rock from the tree with dentistry tools then hand sanded and polished it. ‘RA- the Sun God’ is truly a unique masterpiece found no-where else in the world. There are 750 gemstones in the display and the agates are fascinating.
Also on the site is a 130-year-old timber jinker with hand hewn ironbark wheels, which was pulled by 16 bullocks to bring the timber to the mills.
A short walk around the rear of the Museum takes you down to the waters of Lake Tyers were we watched fish leaping from the water.

Our group was certainly not finished for the day so after one of the ladies asked very nicely we headed off to the Trestle Bridge a short drive down the road. This bridge is one of the best examples of its type in the Southern Hemisphere and was once part of the main railway line to Melbourne spanning Stony Creek. Built in 1916 it extended the rail service between Orbost and Bairnsdale. The bridge is 276 metres long and the last train to cross it was in June 1988.

As the day was fading fast we turned the bus for home with a stop in Orbost for a late lunch. There was much comment about Orbost, which has improved its appearance over the last year, and it is now worthwhile to pull up and see what is on offer.

There are more trips planned to see our region and explore our local towns so if you see the bus from Bendoc give us a wave for we will be off on another adventure.


Bendoc Region Community Adult Education
Growing Lavender workshop will be on soon for all interested.
Computer lessons are always available with qualified tutors – interested in working with leather
Trips to different parts of the region are planned each month
Lifestyle courses are available for all over fifteen years of ageand a Folk Art Tutor is available for classes
Literacy and numeracy courses are arranged to suit everyone needs and time
Please give the coordinator a ring or an email if interested in any of the above courses on 64581402 or 64581472

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